Can Jean Johnstone's merry band of Kiwi eventers reclaim the Trans Tasman?
The New Zealand Trans-Tasman Eventing team flies to Sydney today (Monday) to take on their Australian counterparts at the Sydney International Horse Trials next weekend, 26-28 April. The Trans-Tasman test will be staged at CCI3* level (long format) at the same venue as the 2000 Olympic Games, with Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR), the Olympic course designer, responsible for the cross-country course again this year.
There is a proud history attached to this biennial competition, first staged in 1985 at Gawler, South Australia, where an all girl Kiwi team stunned the well performed Aussies. It has been contested in alternate countries every second year since, with New Zealand winning routinely until 2001 when it was contested at the Adelaide CCI4*, the first running of the only 4* event in the southern hemisphere.
Since then, each nation has been victorious on their own soil, until the last test at Kihikihi (run in 2012 instead of 2011 due to logistical reasons), where the Australians jubilantly retained the Trans-Tasman Trophy, so the mission for the 2013 NZ Trans-Tasman team is to bring it home with them.
The team is: Simon Gordon, Karaka, on Fletch.com; Bryce Newman, Bulls, on Bates Trademark; Donna Smith, Te Kauwhata, on Just Chocolate or Balmoral Tangolooma; and Australian based Joe Waldron, Hamilton, Victoria, on Springvale All Black.
The non-travelling reserve is Dannie Lodder, Papakura, on Moochi, but she has decided to go at her own expense to compete as an individual. Smith is also taking both horses, one at her own expense which will also compete as an individual.
Apart from Waldron, these riders will be entitled to earn Bell Tea Super League points at Sydney, so will not be penalised by missing events in New Zealand due to representing their country. The points earned will be the equivalent of the NRM CCI3* at the National Three-day Event at Taupo on 17-19 May.
The team manager is Jean Johnstone, Otago (mother of UK based Clarke Johnstone), who has been chef d’equipe for successful NZ Young Rider Trans-Tasman teams. Former Olympian Tinks Pottinger, Masterton, will coach the team, and Alec Jorgenson of Hamilton Veterinary Services is the team veterinarian.
Simon Gordon and Fletch.com
24 year old Simon Gordon is not a full time rider, but likes it that way, preferring to keep a balance in his life, and fund his sporting aspirations with his business career. His three horse team does not warrant a groom, but his mother Susie, a farm girl from Southland, fills that roll so he can campaign seriously. She says he doesn’t like being beholden to her, but he says he is grateful for her support, as “I can’t be there all the time.”
Educated at Auckland Boys Grammar, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Canterbury in Finance and Accounting, as well as a Bachelor of Property from Auckland University, aided by a Prime Minister’s Scholarship.. He now works for the ASB Bank’s Commercial Banking division in Manukau.
Simon was a member of the NZ Inter-Pacific Pony Club team which won the Nations Cup at Lexington, in Kentucky, as an 18 year old, having first been to the NZPCA “Champs” at the age of 14. Team captain of the successful NZ Trans-Tasman YR teams to Camperdown, NSW, in 2009 (described as “fantastic”) and in Christchurch in 2011, he was also a senior Trans-Tasman team member last year at Kihikihi.
The current Eventer of the Year after winning the Bell Tea CIC3* at Hastings in March, his biggest win to date, Simon said afterwards, “I’m pretty excited. It is recognition of the hard work me and my family have put in.,” adding, “I’d love to represent New Zealand at WEG or the Olympics, but it’s a struggle the way I’m structuring it.” Fellow competitor Carissa McGregor will be his groom in Sydney.
Fletch.com was imported from Australia as a showjumper, but proved to be “quirky.” Simon bought him as a 5 year old and found him very flighty. He would drop his shoulder and was prone to bolt. Now a slightly more mature 12 year old, the 167.5cm grey thoroughbred gelding, by Ken Mare, has rewarded Simon with his first 3* win.
Bryce Newman and Bates Trademark
At 45 years old Bryce Newman is the veteran of the team, and can be relied upon not only to share his experience but to keep spirits up as well, never being lost for words, most of which cause merriment amongst his mates.
Married to Michelle, who will groom for him in Sydney, he is a full time trainer of both racehorses and sport horses at Bulls, and has two sons, 16 year old Jack and 12 year old Harry. Jack (a chip off the old block) is now competing in eventing along with his father, while Harry plays good rugby and is an age group representative in the Rangitikei region.
Bryce was a working pupil of Sir Mark Todd’s at Cholderton in the early days of Mark’s career in England, and has competed in America as well as Europe. He contested the Kentucky CCI4* on Bates Innishturk, owned by Kelly and Greer Drinkrow, in 2000.
Bates Trademark, owned by his mother-in-law Fay McSweeney, is an 11 year old 167.5cm chestnut thoroughbred gelding by Turbulent Dancer out of Tomaree, bred by Jack O’Brien. They won the CCI2* at the National Three-day Event at Taupo in 2010, but the Newman name appears on most of the National Eventing trophies.
A member of three previous successful Trans-Tasman teams, at Werribee in 1997 on Jake, Taupo in 1999 on Serengeti, and Taupo again in 2007 on Our Questionnaire, we hope he will repeat that performance again in Sydney, after which we may allow him to retire if he really wants to!
Donna Smith and Just Chocolate or Balmoral Tangalooma
33 year old Donna Smith is a full time rider who runs Balmoral Eventing with her partner Simone Kann on her father’s property near Te Kauwhata. She represented New Zealand in the World Equestrian Games at Aachen in 2006, riding Frances Stead’s Call Me Clifton, while based in the United States for five years with American Olympians Karen and David O’Connor.
Her name also appears on most of the National Eventing trophies, but this will be her first Trans-Tasman trip. She has been named with either Just Chocolate (pictured above) or Balmoral Tangolooma, but will take both horses, one at her own expense. Just Chocolate, who lies third in the Bell Tea Super League, is the more experienced.
Owned by Tim and Sarah Varley, who now live in Australia, “Choco” is a l0 year old 161cm liver chestnut gelding, Gisborne bred, who was started by Sarah. He is a tricky character, who only “runs” once or twice a year now, being ridden in non-grading classes by Simone to keep him calm and fit between the “biggies”.
Balmoral Tangolooma is the baby of the squad at 8 years old and in his first 3* season. A 158cm bay thoroughbred gelding, he is jointly owned by Donna and Simone, who predict a big future for him. Simone will be grooming for Donna in Sydney.
Joseph Waldron and Springvale All Black
21 year old Joseph Waldron is the only rider in the NZ High Performance squad not currently based in Britain. He was named in the NZHP Accelerator squad earlier this year, and was visited by UK based HP leader Erik Duvander while en route to New Zealand recently.
Born in Otago, Joe moved to Western Australia with his family as a teenager in 2006. He honed his eventing skills while based with Australian Olympian Gillian Rolton near Adelaide for two years after completing his schooling. Now based at Hamilton, in Victoria, with his family, he is a full time rider.
Joe brought his top horse Springvale All Black to New Zealand last year to campaign for both the NZ Senior and Young Rider Trans-Tasman teams. He impressed the selectors with a solid performance in the Horse of the Year CIC3* Eventing, and was subsequently named in the NZ Senior team to contest the Trans-Tasman Trophy at Kihikihi CIC3*, where he was the best performed Kiwi, placing second behind Aussie Shane Rose.
His amazing trip to his homeland was rounded out with a title win in the NZ Young Rider Three-day Event (CCI2*) at Christchurch, helping the NZ YR team to a successful defence of the Trans-Tasman Challenge. His mother Sharron will groom for him in Sydney this year, when he dons the Kiwi colours again. He says, “I am looking forward to giving the Aussie team a run for their money on their home turf!”
Springvale All Black is an Australian thoroughbred Joe bought “off the track” after the family arrived in Western Australia. Now a 13 year old, the 164cm brown gelding by Key Business saw Joe named in the Australian Youth Development Squad in 2010-11 after being the South Australian Eventing Young Rider of the Year in 2009-10. They won the South Australian Senior Eventing Championships in 2011.
Joe hopes to do his first 4* at the Adelaide CCI4* in November. He has no immediate plans to move to the UK in the short term, although he may spend four or five weeks there with the NZ HP squad following the Melbourne CCI3* in June, so he will have some idea what to expect when he does make the move.
Dannie Lodder and Moochi (reserve)
37 year old Dannie Lodder (nee Smyth) is the non-travelling reserve, but has decided to go to Sydney at her own expense to compete as an individual. Having won the Kihikihi CIC3*, her biggest win to date, after which the team was named, she is looking forward to the challenge.
Married to Nick, a solicitor and “very tolerant husband,” they have two daughters, Scout and Piper, aged six and three respectively. Her mother Beatrice has been her long time groom, since taking her to a riding school at the age of four, and as Dannie said, “She is always there for me.”
Moochi, a 165cm 10 year old brown thoroughbred gelding by Vain Promise out of Bust, is owned by Petra Eatson, who took him through to 2* level before deciding her work commitments prevented her getting the best out of him. She offered the ride to her good friend Dannie, who took him back to basics to slow him down and give him time to think, and develop the quality of his jump while they formed a relationship.
A year later they have reaped the rewards in an emotional moment for all concerned, Dannie having lost her last 3* horse, Armada, before taking him to Adelaide to contest the CCI4* there. She said, “He trusts me now, and I love him. He’s a bit quirky, like me, but he’s very genuine and honest.” Petra will groom for Dannie in Sydney.
A member of the Young Rider Trans-Tasman team at Puhinui in 1994 (Tangible Asset) and Perth in 1996 (In the Black), Dannie is probably best known for producing young horses for Joc and John Bayly’s Waitangi stud, at her Ararimu property, Armada Stables, near Papakura.
